"Dinner's ready," Akira called out, poking his head out from the kitchen.
Sajuna and Shinju, the two girls, emerged from the bedroom. Akira, carrying the dishes, glanced at Sajuna's expression. Sajuna, noticing Akira observing her, quickly turned her head to avoid his gaze.
Shinju, standing nearby, watched her older sister's reaction and secretly covered her mouth, chuckling.
Big sister is truly adorable!
She knew her big sister's personality very well. If she didn't genuinely have a crush on a boy, why would she act so coy?
She would have long since coldly chased him away.
Earlier, when discussing Akira-kun with big sister, she had blushed and said there was no way she could like a boy who actively asked to go to a girl's house.
Now, seeing Akira-kun, she was all shy again—it was simply too kawaii.
Akira, seeing Sajuna's behavior, thought it was probably because she felt embarrassed about what she had said earlier, especially since it had been said when she wasn't thinking clearly.
Who knew how much of it had been said without thinking?
"Sajuna, how's your cold?"
"It's a little better," Sajuna replied, startled. "Thank you for taking care of me, Akira-kun."
"No need to thank me, we're friends!" Akira replied. "Among friends, there's no need for such formal thanks!"
"Friends." Sajuna repeated the word twice under her breath. "We are friends."
Shinju walked to the table and looked at the dishes. She said, surprised, "Big sister, it's your favorite dish!"
"I noticed you order this when you go to restaurants, so I thought you might like it," Akira said, rubbing his head. "Sajuna, try it and see how it tastes."
Sajuna picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of teriyaki chicken, and put it in her mouth. Then she took a spoon and scooped up some stewed tofu, her face turning even redder.
Meeting the gazes of Shinju and Akira, Sajuna was a little shy. "It's delicious."
"That's good," Akira nodded. "As long as it suits Sajuna's taste."
"Akira-kun, you're amazing!" Shinju praised. "It feels like Akira-kun can do everything!"
"Not at all, I'm just starting to learn," Akira replied. He wasn't an all-rounder yet.
Although his skills were slowly increasing, he clearly still needed to spend a lot of time expanding his skill set.
"Speaking of which, I still need to learn from Shinju!" Akira changed the subject, bringing up Shinju.
"Eh, is there anything I can teach you?" Shinju, who was eating, paused and asked doubtfully. "Is there anything Akira-kun, a university student, needs my help with?"
"Shinju, you're the one who takes all of Sajuna's photos, right?" Akira asked.
Shinju glanced at her older sister, and seeing no particular expression on her face, slowly nodded.
"I want Shinju to teach me how to use a camera," Akira requested.
"Eh, Akira-kun, you want to learn how to use a camera too?" Shinju asked, surprised.
"That's right. Shinju takes such adorable pictures of Sajuna that I can't help but want to take cute photos myself."
"It's all because Big Sister is too cute, it has nothing to do with my photography skills!" Shinju waved her hands wildly. Sajuna, blushing, drank the porridge in front of her, her eyes unfocused as if staring into space.
"That's definitely also thanks to Shinju. Otherwise, why do people always complain about their boyfriends not knowing how to take pictures?" Akira said with a smile. "I hope Shinju can teach me well!"
"Okay, okay."
Akira-kun also wants to take beautiful pictures of Big Sister.
Shinju felt a little happy and a little dejected.
After all, if Akira-kun took all of Big Sister's photos in the future, wouldn't she seem a bit redundant?
Shinju lowered her head, took a bite of food, and felt that the meal wasn't as delicious as the first bite she had tasted.
---
The three of them finished their meal around the table. Shinju took her older sister back to the bedroom, then returned to the kitchen to help Akira wash the dishes and pots.
"Shinju, is something on your mind?" Akira asked, looking at the distracted Shinju.
He felt that ever since Shinju agreed to teach him photography, her mood had been a little low.
She also seemed to be eating without much appetite, as if she wasn't tasting the food.
"No, nothing at all!" Shinju denied.
"Shinju, do you usually tell your older sister what's on your mind?" Akira asked. Since she didn't want to tell him, he decided to let her older sister get it out of her.
"Mm," Shinju nodded.
"Then talk to your older sister about it. It's not good to keep things bottled up," Akira comforted her.
"It, it, it's something I can't tell Big Sister," Shinju turned her head away from Akira.
Can't tell Big Sister? Is there any topic between girls that even close sisters can't discuss?
Akira thought for a long time but couldn't figure out what it could be.
Moreover, Shinju didn't have a boyfriend, so there couldn't be any embarrassing emotional issues.
It couldn't be that she was being bullied, could it?
Afraid of making her older sister worry, so she kept it to herself, silently enduring it and not daring to tell her?
Akira thought for a while and felt that with Shinju's unconfident personality, it was indeed possible she might be bullied.
He coughed lightly and asked, "Shinju, are you being bullied at school?"
"Eh?!" Shinju was startled, not knowing why she was being asked such a terrifying question. "No, no, no!"
"Really not? If you're being bullied, you must tell your family as soon as possible. Silently enduring it will only bring more harm!" Akira lectured her. It was good that she wasn't being bullied.
"Then what is Shinju troubled about? And it's something you can't tell your older sister," Akira said. "Besides bullying, I can't think of anything else."
Shinju glanced at the busy Akira, felt his concern, and said with a blush, "Because Akira-kun asked me for photography tips earlier, I, I, I…"
"Mm, what's wrong? Is Shinju finding it difficult? If it's difficult, then never mind."
"I, I thought if Akira-kun learned photography, Big Sister would definitely be happy to let Akira-kun take her pictures, and I, I wouldn't have many chances to take pictures of Big Sister anymore."
Shinju lowered her head, her two hands twisted together, gently pinching her fingertips. "I just feel like Big Sister won't need me anymore."
"I, I'm a little worried."
Akira suddenly understood. So, it was the sense of crisis he had brought upon her.
He couldn't help but gently pat Shinju's lowered head and comfort her. "You're Sajuna's younger sister. How could she not like you? How could she feel she doesn't need you?"
"Your existence alone already makes Sajuna happy and content, Shinju."
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